Handle for satchels, &amp;c.



A. V. SAMMIS. HANDLE FOR SATOHELS, 610 APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

l in I ALBERT V. SAMMIS, OF HUNTINQTO-N, NEW YORK.

HANDLE FOB, SATCHELS, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed May 20,'1911. Serial No. 628,532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT V. SAMivrIs,; a citizen of the United Statesof Amer1ca,, and a resident of Huntington, 1n the county I ofSuffolk andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inHandles for Satchels, &c., of. which the following is a full and clearspecification, reference being had to the acthe device to a handle thesame operation co-mpanylng drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of an ordil nary form of suitcase handle and my handgrip appliedthereto as a detachable attachment; Fig. 2 a perspective view of thegrlp detached; Fig. 3 a vertical sectlonal view showing the gripattached to the handle;

Fig. 4: aside elevation of a completehandle constructed in accordancewith my invention; and Fig. 5 a vertical transverseseo" tion of thehandle.

The object of this invention is to so construct the grip portion of thehandle as to greatly reduce the fatigue of carrying the piece of baggageto which the handle 1s attached, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a designates the usual handle of asuitcase, etc., and b designates as a whole my improved hand grip, whichin these figures is in the form of a rigid block separate from andadapted to be detachably attached to the handle a. This block is shorterthan the handle proper but is approximately the same width or thicknessas the handle. This block has its upper face convexly curvedlongitudinally and grooved longitudinally to fit snugly against theunder surface of the handle a. The link 0 serves to detachably attachthe block to the handle a, this link consisting of a straight portion 0extending through a transverse hole in the block (Z and serving as apivotal connection, and an upstanding hook portion 0 extending up overthe handle a, this hook portion 0 being resilient so as to serve toclamp the block up snugly against the handle. At the free end the pivotc is bent laterally to form a stop 0 adapted to prevent the pivot 0being disengaged from the block. There is a sufficient space between thedownwardly turned end 0 of the hook and the upper edge of the block topermit the block to be readily detached from the handle by moving it tothe end of the handle where the handle is suiiiciently narrow to passthrough said space. In order to detach the block from the handle it isusual y necessary to straighten the handle slightly and then swing theblock around on top of the handle, and then by shoving the block alongthe top of the handle it may be readily disconnected by twisting itslightly to permit the narrowed portion or connection of the handle topass through the space between t-he hook and the block. .To attachsubstantially is reversed. r

The lower edge I) of the grip block is curved from its ends downwardlytoward its middle, that is, convexly, and this lower edge is rounded 0Hat its corners, thereby adapting thelower edge of the block to fitwithin the bend of the fingers and thus serve to distribute the strainequally among the four fingers and thereby obviate a serious objectionto the ordinary upwardly-curved handle which tends to throw the greaterpart of the strain upon the fore-finger and the little finger. To stillfurther increase the comfort and distribute the strain of the weight ofthe luggage, the block at its opposite sides is tapered downwardly andthese tapered portions are longitudinally depressed or concaved, asshown at b, and above these longitudinal depressions b" I form anotherpair of longitudinal depressions b in the opposite parallel sides of thegrip block. The object of thus shaping and grooving the block is shownin Fig. 5, in which view'is illustrated in dotted lines the manner inwhich the lowered tapered edge of the block fits within the lower bendin the fingers, and also the manner in which the longitudinal paralleldepressions b and Z7 receive the muscles which are caused to bulge bythe bending up of the fingers. With this construction it will be seenthat the weight is not only equally distributed among the fingers but isin fact taken oif the bones of the fingers and applied directly to themuscles of the fingers. In practical tests with this device it has beendemonstrated that with a given weight of luggage the luggage can besustained in the hand to a much greater length of time without fatigueof the hand or to the arm.

In Figs. 4 and 5 my improved rigid hand grip is shown as being embodiedintegrally in a complete handle.

It is obvious that various changes in the details of construction mightbe resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, and itis also obvious that my device may be made of a great variety ofmaterials.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hand grip for luggage handles consisting of a substantially rigidblock having its upper surface adapted to fit against the under surfaceof the handle and its lower edge curved from its ends downwardly towardits middle, the upper portions of the opposite sides of the block beingprovided each with a longitudinal depression to receive the muscles ofthe fingers, and the lower portions of the opposite sides of the blockbeing tapered downwardly and being also provided with longitudinaldepressions to receive the muscles of the fingers, and means fordetachably connecting the block to the handle.

2. A hand grip for luggage handles consisting of a separatesubstantially rigid block having its upper surface adapted to fitagainst the under surface of the handle,

and a swinging link carried by the block and having an open hook portionadapted to engage-over the handle, substantially as set forth.

3. A hand grip for luggage handles consisting of a substantially rigidbody having the gripping portion of its lower edge curved downwardlytoward its middle and the lower portions of its opposite sides tapereddownwardly, these tapered faces be ing longitudinally depressed toreceive the muscles of the finger, said block having the upper portionsof its opposite sides made substantially parallel and each provided witha longitudinal depression to receive the muscles of the fingers, for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALBERT V. SAMMIS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES D. DAVIS, BERNIOE T. BRIDGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

